The combination of money always being available and a forward-thinking general manager often have the Eagles out in front of potential problems in negotiations, and it makes plenty of sense to make sure Barkley is happy after his 2,005-yard season (in just 16 games) in 2024. Adam Schefter reports that Barkley will be the NFL’s first running back to make more than $20 million a season and has also procured $36 million fully guaranteed at signing. Barkley’s transcendent season was rewarded with a whopper of a contract, one that other running backs will likely be trying to argue they deserve for the next 5-10 years. Barkley will be one of the top running backs off the board in 2025 fantasy drafts. Depending on what happens with Ja’Marr Chase’s contract situation, Barkley could be considered at No. 1 overall in most fantasy drafts this August.

Apparently nobody was biting on New York’s trade calls over the weekend. Adams’ release will free up roughly $30 million in cap space while leaving a $8 million dead money hit on the Jets’ books. Most of the speculation to date has been on Adams either joining forces with Aaron Rodgers in a new locale or returning the west coast. Adams becomes clearly the No. 1 wideout on the market even entering his age-33 season, coming off a 85/1063/8 season in 14 games split between the Raiders and Jets. There should be plenty of interest in his services, and because he was released, he will not count against the NFL’s compensatory draft pick formula for the signing team.

The Giants, who have the third overall pick right now, would have to convince the quarterback-desperate Titans to give up the top pick. The Giants, per Raanan, would take Miami QB Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick if they make the move. “Speaking with evaluators throughout the league and sources with knowledge of the quarterback market, there seemed to be an overwhelming consensus that Ward is the top option in an overall weak QB draft,” Raanan said, quoting a league source as saying the Giants’ “consistent scouting of [Shedeur] Sanders was a smoke screen.” New York will bring in at least one veteran quarterback option no matter what they do in the NFL Draft on April 24.

Though the Saints are stuck with Derek Carr in 2025, Rosenblatt sees New Orleans as a sensible landing spot for Sanders should be fall out of the first five picks. “I think it’s conceivable at this point that Sanders drops out of the Top 5; he would offer the Saints a way out of the quarterback purgatory they’ve found themselves in since Drew Brees retired,” Rosenblatt said. “If Sanders falls to No. 9 and the Saints are high enough on him, it’s worth taking the swing.” NFL evaluators have seemed reticent about Sanders’ arm strength coming out of college, with Cam Ward the clear favorite to go ahead of Sanders in the upcoming draft. Everyone from the Giants to the Titans to the Raiders — and now the Saints — have been linked to Deion’s son, who turned 23 in February. The Saints would likely have to move up two or three picks if they want a real shot at Sanders.

Steelers brass has said this offseason that they would only keep one of Wilson of Fields after both quarterbacks underwhelmed as starters in 2024. While Wilson was a more accurate passer — he ranked sixth overall in completion rate over expected last season — Fields was the more efficient signal caller and functioned as a dual threat QB, as he did in Chicago. Though Fields should have a handful of teams interested in him for 2025, the Steelers could push to keep him in Pittsburgh for at least one more season. No matter who the Steelers go with as their Week 1 starter, they are likely to remain one of the league’s run-heaviest offenses.

It might come as a shock to someone like Garrett Wilson, who has suffered through a never-ending string of subpar quarterbacks under center for New York. Taylor, a journeyman entering his 15th NFL season, most recently completed 65 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and three interceptions over 11 appearances for the Giants in 2023. He had 119 yards and three scores on 22 attempts last season as Aaron Rodgers’ backup. Rosenblatt expects the Jets to pursue Justin Fields in free agency this offseason after Fields flamed out with the Steelers in 2024. Fields was Wilson’s quarterback at Ohio State before they pair entered the NFL. Rosenblatt expects a deal for Fields to be heavy with incentives.

At the NFL Combine, both Morris and Fontenot hinted that Pitts’ effort wasn’t always there, though he has shown flashes over his past two disappointing seasons with Atlanta. “We’ll have to figure those things out. He’s shown some spurts of greatness, and he’s shown some things that (make you) desire more. We’ll try to get the best out of him at all times. That’s our job as coaches,” Morris told reporters at the combine. An afterthought in the 2024 Falcons offense, the former first-round pick will likely play elsewhere in 2026. The Athletic’s Josh Kendall said many NFL front offices “can’t quit” the idea of Pitts as a game-changing tight end.

Schefter did state that the team is still interested in re-signing the quarterback that led them to the playoffs in 2024. The franchise had a legitimate quarterback battle last offseason after drafting J.J. McCarthy in the first round, something that could come into play again regardless of whether Darnold re-signs with the team or not. Turning to the second-year quarterback would open up additional room against the cap and could allow the team to pursue a high profile free agent addition to bolster their roster. This also tells us that there hasn’t been much of a tag-and-trade market developing for Darnold behind the scenes.

Higgins took to social media to announce the team’s decision to franchise tag him for a second-straight offseason. If he plays out the year on the tag, Higgins would earn $26.2 million, but the hope is the two sides can work out a long-term deal before then. Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 12 games last season, and would have been one of the top free agents on the market had he come available. It’s possible Ja’Marr Chase secures a long-term deal before Higgins grabs one of his own. The Bengals PR release on using the tag specifically mentions that the team wants to re-sign Higgins to a long-term deal and it is obviously in their best interests to lower Higgins’ cap figure as they look to sign other star players this offseason.

Those hoping the Cowboys would use the No. 12 pick to land hometown prospect Ashton Jeanty may need to start looking elsewhere. Just weeks after saying he believes Jeanty would be the pick at No. 12 if he were on the board, Machota’s takeaway following the scouting combine is that the team would prefer to “go in a different direction” than running back with their No. 12 pick, and instead target a back in the second or third round. This year’s running back class is expected to be deep, meaning the Cowboys should have plenty of options available to them when they’re on the clock with the No. 44 or No. 76 picks. The Cowboys didn’t speak to Jeanty at the combine, but there will still be plenty of time to speak with him during top-30 visits or the Cowboys’ Dallas Day Workout.